In a report filed Monday from the Racing Commissioners International (RCI) and the Association of Official Racing Chemists Association (AORC) Conference on Equine Welfare and Anti-Doping Policy, RCI head Ed Martin made several pointed remarks about USADA/WADA (United States and World Anti-Doping Agency) and WHOA (Water Hay Oats Alliance) that require clarification.
WHOA, which is against race-day medication, was behind a push that led The Jockey Club to form an association with USADA to have the Congress of the United States appoint them to oversee the use of drugs in American Thoroughbred horseracing.
The main reason TJC and WHOA are behind this initiative is to have an independent organization oversee the sport in an effort to gain national unity on drug rules and use. TJC tried and failed to persuade enough states that race to get behind uniform medication rules.
Nobody at TJC or WHOA has ever envisioned, imagined and pined for a program in which tests designed for human athletics was the benchmark to test Thoroughbred racehorses.
What both TJC and WHOA are impressed with that USADA has managed to accomplish is the ridding from the sport of cycling the notorious drug abuser Lance Armstrong. This was done because USADA is independent of any political affiliation.
Thoroughbred racing has nothing in place like USADA.
I have a message for Travis Tygart of USADA and Ed Martin of RCI:
Travis, do your utmost to convince Ed that you two are on the same team with the same goals. Convince Ed that he has job security. Explain to him that you are in a position to be the best thing that ever happened to him, because with your appointment by Congress as an independent overseer of drugs in America you can give teeth and traction to initiatives Ed has wanted to employ for years.
Ed, your hands are tied by the state racing commissions that by and large are peopled by folks appointed by politicians. USADA will operate above this partisan melee and to get things done.
Travis and Ed both want the same thing, but whereas Ed is unable to accomplish what he wants, Travis will not be bound by the dictates of several different fiefdoms.
All of the other alphabet organizations will benefit from an independent overseer of drugs in racing, because right now they have nothing but chaos.
The reason you have not seen anybody at your conference from WHOA is that we are busy rallying our troops for the fight to restore integrity in racing. I wish you all luck in your endeavors this week, but more importantly, I urge Ed Martin to get on the same page as Travis Tygart and support the initiative to have USADA appointed.
Ed you cannot get done what you want without them. The sooner you realize this, the better racing will be. Because a united front before the Congress will help get USADA appointed. Ed, it is time to get with the program, sir.
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